Indiana Farmer Turns to Sun to Run Operation

[Baack]

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — While Dr. Harold and Terri Loveall's Vigo County barn looks like any other in Indiana, it's what's on top of the south-facing sloping roof that makes it unique.
The 66- by 28-foot roof supports 60 photovoltaic solar panels, each producing 224 watts of electricity. The panels are aligned in four rows, or two sub-arrays, with each sub-array producing 6.7 kilowatts, making the entire system produce 13.4 kilowatts of electricity, said Phillip Roberts, owner of One Planet Solar & Wind, a Terre Haute solar and wind distributing and contracting company that recently installed the system.
"It's the fourth-largest residential solar photovoltaic system in Indiana," Roberts said, adding that the largest is in northwest Indiana, generating about 20 kilowatts.
It is the first step in making the Loveall farm energy-independent. The farm in southern Vigo County has at least 200 acres of electric fencing to contain a herd of "beefalo," a cross between buffalos and domestic cattle, plus a 7,000-square-foot home.
The fencing itself uses 600 volts of power, Roberts said.
"The system will cover at least 50 percent of electrical usage costs. When working at full power and demand is low, the Lovealls' electric meter will actually turn backward" and the couple will receive credit on their account, Roberts said.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,547042,00.html

[Nevada Kid]

How many Day Sunlight in Indiana?

[Burgs]

build another barn with one and power the whole house

too bad they will probably never see the return on this HUGE investment to "go green"

[Lil'Devil]

We are looking into getting a solor powered water heater and a solar powered heat generater for our house, it will cost us about 5 thousand dollars. We have a small cabin on 20 acres out in the middle of nowhere so it would be perfect for us. Our dream is to be completly off the grid, screw the big hydro companies.

I am always interesed in this technology, I believe that the technology is only going to get better, solar panels will become smaller and more efficient. People don't like to think about it but the end of oil could be as little as 50 years away, when that happens, we are all going to be in for a rude awakening. That is why we need to find other sources of power now.